Blue Level

The Ultimate Urban Legend

"The express tubes end at Green level, and the dome is above it." This commonly repeated fact is the standard response when anyone mentions Blue Level in Horizon City. Yet the stories persist - whispered tales of an impossible realm where reality itself seems to bend, where legendary figures like Benjiro Takahashi create artifacts that defy explanation, like the mysterious Unmei No Hashi ring that contains what appears to be an entire galaxy within it.

The Myth

According to those who believe, Blue Level exists in ways that challenge conventional understanding:

• Impossible Location: Some claim it exists in the seemingly impossible space between Green Level and the dome, visible only to those who know how to look.

• Dimensional Anomaly: Others believe it exists in a pocket dimension, accessible only through specific technological means or at certain times.

• Virtual Reality: A popular theory suggests it's an advanced virtual environment where consciousness can be uploaded, explaining why no physical evidence exists.

• Technological Wonderland: Stories describe it as a place where technology centuries ahead of what's available elsewhere in Horizon City is commonplace.

• Benjiro's Domain: Many legends center around Benjiro Takahashi, describing Blue Level as his personal workshop and sanctuary where he creates artifacts of impossible beauty and function.

The descriptions vary wildly, but all share one common element: Blue Level represents something beyond the ordinary constraints of Horizon City life - a place where the impossible becomes possible.

The Believers

Those who believe in Blue Level form a diverse spectrum:

• Casual Mythologists: Most Horizon City residents treat Blue Level as an amusing urban legend, something to speculate about over drinks but not take seriously.

• The Obsessed: A small but dedicated group of "Blue Level Truthers" dedicate their lives to proving its existence, collecting evidence and testimonies that most dismiss as fabrications.

• The Claimed Visitors: Occasionally, someone claims to have visited Blue Level. They're generally regarded as attention-seekers, mentally unstable, or victims of elaborate scams.

• The Skeptical Researchers: Some academics study the Blue Level myth as a sociological phenomenon, examining how urban legends reflect societal anxieties and aspirations.

• The Knowing Smiles: Rarely, someone responds to Blue Level mentions not with dismissal or obsession, but with a knowing smile that suggests they understand more than they're willing to say.

The Evidence

Those who believe in Blue Level point to several categories of evidence:

• Unexplained Artifacts: Objects like the Unmei No Hashi ring that seem to defy known technology and appear without clear origin.

• Architectural Anomalies: Certain areas of Green Level penthouses with sealed doors, unusual security, or unexplained energy signatures.

• Missing Persons: Occasional disappearances of individuals who claimed to be close to discovering Blue Level access points.

• Technological Leaps: Sudden appearances of technologies that seem to have no developmental history or clear origin.

• Witness Testimonies: A small collection of accounts from people claiming to have glimpsed or briefly visited Blue Level, though these are generally dismissed as fabrications.

Cultural Significance

Whether real or not, Blue Level serves important functions in Horizon City's collective psyche:

• Hope and Mystery: In a city where everything is categorized, regulated, and known, Blue Level represents the possibility that wonders and mysteries still exist.

• Social Commentary: The myth reflects the reality that no matter how high one climbs in Horizon City, there always seems to be another level of privilege and power just out of reach.

• Aspiration Beyond Reason: While Gold Level represents achievable luxury and Green Level represents attainable comfort, Blue Level embodies the human tendency to imagine something beyond all practical reach.

• Technological Imagination: The artifacts allegedly from Blue Level inspire engineers and designers to push boundaries, trying to create what seems impossible.

• The Ultimate Question: The persistent mystery of Blue Level raises the fundamental question that haunts Horizon City: Is there something more beyond what we can see and touch? Something magical in a world of cold technology and rigid hierarchy?

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of Blue Level is that it can never be definitively disproven. The dome is vast, the city complex, and the possibility remains that somewhere, somehow, the impossible exists - if only for those who know where to look.